Benefit’s Magnet Mascara Is So Good, It Made My Eyelashes Look False

For many of us, makeup has taken a backseat during lockdown but there's one product which makes us feel instantly pulled together and look more awake in seconds: mascara.

From Maybelline's Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara (a firm favourite on TikTok right now) to Victoria Beckham's Future Lash Mascara, new products are launching left, right and centre. But they can't get all the praise. Especially not when benefit's new They're Real! Magnet Mascara deserves the limelight, too.

It's fair to say that benefit has mascara nailed; when its first They're Real! product launched a few years ago, it assumed cult status fast. But its latest launch is causing quite the stir. I know what you're thinking: magnet? While brands have jumped on the bandwagon lately, launching everything from magnetic false eyelashes to magnetic face masks, magnetic mascara is still pretty new. According to benefit, it's all down to the clever brush, which has a "magnetically charged core." The brush then attracts the formula, which is enriched with magnetic minerals, and pulls the product up and out through the lashes without any effort at all. The result is apparently long, defined and voluminous lashes in a couple of quick swipes.

As a mascara fanatic whose makeup bag boasts everything from luxury to high street products, I was sold and had to give it a go. At first glance, the magnetic version doesn't look any different from benefit's first They're Real! mascara. The plastic brush is similar to — if not a tad thicker than — the original and the teeth are very short so that you can wedge the brush into the root of your lashes and easily grab even the tiniest of hairs.

As I combed the brush through, I actually let out a gasp. It lengthened and thickened my lashes faster than any other mascara I've tried, without the dreaded clumps. My lashes are straight and I usually use a lash curler to enhance them but I didn't need one here as the product lifted my lashes instantly. In fact, they stayed curled until the end of the day. My lashes were so jet black and voluminous, they looked like my trusty Ardell falsies.

One of my biggest gripes is formulas which take ages to dry or transfer on to my eyelid when wet but this didn't at all. It also made my lashes feel flexible and elastic, rather than brittle or hard. I applied the mascara to my bottom lashes to really open up my eyes and throughout the day I found that it did smudge a little. That said, the product isn't currently waterproof, and it removes very easily with micellar water. At $36, it's pricy as far as mascara goes but, as I discovered, one swipe really is enough to make a noticeable, impressive difference to lashes, so it'll last you a long time.

Overall, benefit's They're Real! Magnet is a must-buy if you're a lash obsessive. If you're looking for affordable alternatives, I love L'Oréal's False Lash Telescopic Mascara Magnetic Black, Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, and Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara Very Black. All three make lashes full and fluttery in a couple of slicks, just without the smart magnet component, so be sure to invest in a great eyelash curler.